Soumya Shankar is a Consultant Research Associate at ATREE. She is a Botanist by academic training. She spent much of her childhood with her grandfather Dr H C Govindu, a taxonomist, mycologist and plant pathologist. This formed the basis of her love and interest in plant sciences. Spending time with her grandfather amidst the flora of the UAS campus helped kindle the love for trees and a deep passion for gardening. 

Post her studies she dabbled with a career at a private Bank for 7 years after which she took a sabbatical to enjoy motherhood. It was during that time that she pursued her interest in sketching, penning poetry and reading fiction. Her love for the English language then naturally led her to a career as a freelance content writer starting from 2019. However she realised that she needed to return to her subject of passion when programs of conservation in and around Bangalore caught her interest and she found herself taking part in many such initiatives.